Die Sandfrau
by mostlikelyEmber
Summary: She now knew why the good professor always seemed so cross with her. A death of a loved one would do it. The only question was... what should she do about it? Fem!Gray!Harry


Have you ever experienced state of blissful unawareness upon waking up? When your thoughts are shallower than your breath and a concept of self doesn't yet exist. A mind so far over matter that it cannot perceive it

Well, this morning did not start that way for Severus. He must have been analyzing the previous evening's meeting in his sleep - a feat not too far fetched for a trained Occlumens - because, just as he felt clutches of potion induced slumber leave him, he shot up like a man on fire. As he went through the daily motions with focused care he had only one person on his mind.

Potter.

* * *

She knew something went wrong as soon as she came into the Great Hall. It wasn't a great precognition worthy of Cassandra, however. Seeing her last night's 'conquest' present at the head table was omen enough. Not to mention...

"It looks like Snape is trying to drill a hole through your head, Grace." Said Neville, quickly averting his gaze from the professor. The blond-haired boy was sitting across from her, blearly looking through the human transfiguration textbook.

"You mean, more than usual?" Ron snorted from beside her, turning around between bites of his bacon-egg sandwich. Grace hoped that the blue part was bacon. "Whoa, he's right! Did you step on his favorite cloak yesterday or something?"

"I may have jinxed a stack of homework to run away as I was leaving. But he was being a right git." She responded, thinking to cover her tracks if the worse came to pass and Snape really saw through her. Grace focused on not letting her hands shake as she shoved oatmeal into her mouth. Blood was rushing through her, pulsing into her brain and extremities. She felt she could run to the Forbidden Forest and back without breaking a sweat.

"I'm gonna get something from the Tower, see you at the DADA" She kept herself at a reasonable pace. Her left hand wandered involuntarily to the copper chain on her neck. As she looked back, only one person from her table seemed to be paying attention to her abrupt exit. Hazelnut brown eyes of Ginny Weasley followed her out.

As she weaved through the corridors on her way to the lavatory on the second floor she could feel his eyes on her. There was nothing else for it, this time she had to improvise. When she finally felt an intangible giant pushing her into a hallway guarded by a door, she didn't fight it. She likewise didn't flinch as a heavy thud sounded behind her.

The unused torches erupted with flames so violently, that she could feel her eyebrows singeing. The light heated her face. She fought the urge to turn around and gauge his reaction better. There would be plenty of time for that later, she hoped.

Her limbs thrummed with listlesss energy. If only Grace took the potions with her today. Although the professor would be remiss to fall for the same trick twice, she knew.

They stood in silence for the longest time. Grace felt as if it was her duty as a Gryffindor to break it first.

"I got to know all about my parents' school days. The truth... disappointed me." Grace wasn't sure how much of her facade has he seen through, and if she said too much, the divulgance could be used against her. Did the man think they engaged in anything more than an intimate chat? If yes, how much of an engagement? And how much of the blame for it could be redirected towards him?

"And so you presumed to do... what you did, as a... retribution?" Never before had she heard him use this tone of voice. The growling speech made her want to recoil away, much more so than the context of it. But, there was an opening here. He did not plan this interrogation out. He was still hot with emotions. It would be easy to change their vector from negative to positive. Or to alter their recipient. It looked as if he focused too much on her...

"Not at all. It was more of an absolution." She said, finally turning around to face him, just in time to witness a shift in his blank expression. His right brow lifted minutely, incredulous. His upper lip stiffed in a reflexive scowl that was made defensive by the glimmer in his dark eyes. It looked as if she might as well have struck him. Time to lean into the act. "I... don't think you should make yourself suffer for the sake of the dead". She felt tears forming as she wouldn't blink or look away from his judging stare.

"You... as if..! _Legilimens__!_" He barked hoarsely. There was nothing more that she could do as she fell into the blackness of his pupils.

* * *

Severus tried to get away as soon as he saw the scenes she showed him.

"How come you are so great at potions, Snivellus?" The back of a boy with sloppy black hair hit with a curse the colour of a bruise.

"I reckon he does more than a little extracurricular projects with the old Slug, if you know what I mean!" Accented voice of a posh mutt that got distorted as the owner had to duck under a return spellfire.

"Do you, Snivy?!" A sudden shriek as the outnumbered boy got ejected from his hiding spot.

A torrent of voices whispering. "Mudblood." "Halfie." "Bastard." "Blood-traitor."

Finally...

Two silhouettes of teenagers against the summer sky. A shared laugh. Tension in the air. A mellow voice. "Sev..."

He didn't need to see any more of these episodes. He could tell when his spell was misdirected. But Grace Potter wasn't that good at funneling her thoughts.

"It seems that Petunia had a propensity for spying even back then." Quiped the girl. She looked so smug... She remined Severus too much of the other Potter. His hand clasped his wand tightly as he put it's end to her forehead, right on that red scar of hers.

"_Legilimens._" The man intoned once again.

* * *

**As it's the anniversary of my first posted story I wished to update it with something more of a plot. Once again, let me know if any errors are jumping out at you. I didn't previously have any solid plans for continuing this and if it shows, don't hesitate to tell me. Thanks for reading!**


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